Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Christopher Polk
Topics: Hollywood, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio
Joe Yates
Topics: Hollywood, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio
Diane Keaton’s family have revealed heartbreaking details after confirming the beloved star’s cause of death as pneumonia.
In an emotional statement, the 79-year-old's loved ones have said the Oscar-winning actress passed away on October 11, surrounded by those closest to her.
The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed they rushed to Keaton's home just after 8am on Saturday (October 11), with paramedics also on the scene, and one person taken to a nearby hospital for treatment before being pronounced dead.
At the time, a representative for Keaton's family asked for 'privacy in this moment of great sadness'.
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Now, the much-loved actor's family have thanked fans for their support, while revealing her love of animals, as well as her cause of death.
“The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11,” the statement, issued to People, read.
"She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an animal shelter would be a wonderful and much appreciated tribute to her."
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Speaking prior to the family statement, a close friend told the publication: "She declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her. It was so unexpected, especially for someone with such strength and spirit."
While Oscar-winning songwriter Carole Bayer Sager said in the emotional interview to the publication that she was shocked by Keaton's appearance a few weeks before her passing.
"I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin," Sager said. "She had lost so much weight."
The Grammy winner, who also co-wrote Keaton's only single 'First Christmas' in 2024, said she had saw her buddy fewer times this year since the actor had relocated to Palm Springs for some time after the devastating wildfires tore through her home in California.
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"She had to go to Palm Springs because her house had been damaged inside, and they had to clean everything," she said. "She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she'd lost."
Tributes have poured in from across Hollywood, with Robert De Niro - who worked alongside Keaton multiple times - sharing: “I am very sad to hear of Diane's passing. I was very fond of her, and the news of her leaving us has taken me totally by surprise. I was not expecting her to leave us. She will be missed. May she rest in peace.”
Leonardo DiCaprio, who played her nephew in Marvin's Room, also took to Instagram to write how she was 'one of a kind. Brilliant, funny and unapologetically herself'.
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He added: "She will be deeply missed."
The tragic news comes as Keaton revealed in 2015 to the Los Angeles Times that she had a family history of cancer, in particular skin cancer, and admitted she 'didn't really care' about the risks when in her early 20s.
During this time, Keaton struggled with basal cell carcinoma, and would later go on to develop squamous cell cancer decades afterwards which required two surgeries to remove.
The star had also revealed she struggled with the eating disorder bulimia, where she would eat large quantities of food before making herself throw up.
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Keaton shared that she had sought help for the condition.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone, contact National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). You can reach them on their free hotline at 1(888)-375-7767, which is open Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm CST.